


Neji and Hinata - Copper Thread

by RoeDusk



Series: Tapestry - Prologue [11]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-16
Updated: 2017-06-16
Packaged: 2018-11-14 21:04:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11216247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoeDusk/pseuds/RoeDusk
Summary: The Hyuuga Clan is not a happy place to live.Neji and Hinata try to deal differently.





	1. Fire

Neji wasn't sure what he'd done to deserve this. How it was his fate to be abandoned by his family, his parents murdered by their enemies both at home at in enemy lands. When his mother died father had told him destiny was cruel sometimes, taking things away without giving anything back, and there was nothing you could do about it. Well, destiny was cruel now, and no matter how much he cried or hated nothing could be done.

Neji was angry all the time now. It burned and gave him headaches from the stress of it. He was angry at Hisashi for killing his father, angry at his cousin for being the reason. Angry at destiny for keeping him trapped where he was, no matter how he lashed out he ended up writhing on the ground in pain.

Uncle Shibi tried to help him burn away the stress, teaching him meditation, then moving meditation, and sparring until Neji slept dreamlessly. But he could only visit a few times a month before people started whispering about bloodline stealers and Neji had to stay away from him for a while. He didn't want to turn his only family against the Clan, but he still hated that it was necessary.

Neji like to think that if destiny favored him it would have found a way to let him and his father live with Uncle Shibi. But it was just a fantasy and he tried not to let himself get caught up.

Instead he focused on training. Of all the things that had been taken from him at least he was a destined warrior. So he focused, honing his edge until he was the top in his class, training against Uncle Shibi’s kikaichu to work against weaknesses and increase his chakra reserves. But it wasn't enough. He just couldn't burn the anger off fast enough.

He started doing more training exercises in a day, burning himself out again and again for just a moment's peace. Uncle Shibi found out about it by accident, and instead of telling him to slow down the way Neji feared he would, he held his nephew close and quietly begged him to be careful.

Neji tried, drawing boundaries he wasn't allowed to cross and slowly edging closer to them. He’s not sure if keeping up with Guy-sensei’s training means he succeeded or failed.

But his increasing competence meant he was less and less exhausted after training. Sometimes he couldn't wear himself out enough to pass out before evening, even when training his more intense moves. And that meant he snapped, even at people he hadn't found annoying before. Uncle Shibi was too pandering, Lee too optimistic, Tenten too put-together. He wanted to lash out, set something alight with the anger, and that worried him. He only hoped anyone he would regret hurting was far away when he finally stepped across that line.


	2. Loneliness

Sometimes Hinata wonders what it would be like if everyone in her life could get along. If Mother wasn't always glaring at Grandfather when they passed each other in the halls. Where Father was happy with her training and brother Neji didn't have to spar with her so much he lashed out and Father punished him. She wondered if it might be different if Neji was her cousin again instead of her brother, if she had been better, not gotten kidnapped and killing his father. If not that then just good enough to make Father happy and stop Mother and Grandfather from fighting. Maybe then they wouldn’t be so angry at Neji for her failures?

There's a lifetime's worth of practice behind her smile. It's a shy, fragile thing, and for some reason that makes people think it's real. It makes them happy to think that, so she smiles on cue. The servants relax when she does, assured she isn't going to get them in trouble with her father or grandfather. Father uncurls slightly, reassured that she's paying attention. And mother feels the same, only she draws Hinata close when she catches that smile, petting her hair and teaching lessons that come with fewer bruises than Father’s. Grandfather isn't happy when she smiles, but she wants him to be so she keeps trying. If it feels anything like seeing Hanabi smile at her then it's worth it to smile at her family.

But Hanabi catches her, sees the sadness and exhaustion in the muscles that pull her smile tight. Her sister frowns when Hinata smiles that smile at her, and it aches every time. Hanabi wants her to cry if she needs to, has even offered to keep the secret, but Hinata can't. She _can't_. So she keeps smiling and lying to her sister by holding everything in.

In the end her lies force Hanabi to fight her, to win, and to take over the harsh training with Father. If she could, Hinata would have spared Hanabi that, no matter the cost, but now it's too late. It hurts to attend the Academy, knowing her little sister is back home suffering, that neither of them will ever talk about it. Hinata smiles shyly whenever anyone asks her about her life at home, stammers some half truth, then fades back into the background.

Naruto does the same. That's why she noticed him first, his smile. But when he hides it's by becoming the center of attention, brash and brave and loud. Sometimes she thinks he even manages to fool himself. She’s not sure how that’s possible, but she wants to. If she could, and worked as hard as he did, could she be happy with her strength? Or would she always try just a bit harder, like he did?

Maybe that was the secret to making everyone happy, trying harder with a smile that could fool even yourself?

She wanted to ask him, to see if he had any advice, or just to have someone to talk to who knew her mask was just that. But what if he thought they weren't the same at all? So she kept her silence and just watched.


End file.
